Top Menswear Picks For Autumn/Winter 2013

Introduction

“Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months” said the incomparable Oscar Wilde, and I tend to agree.

As soon as the sun finally put his hat on and made an appearance across the British Isles, barely a week passed before designers and brands alike were releasing their latest autumn/winter range. Many a sunny day was spent indoors poring over the newest clothes and accessories, when I should have been outside tanning. What am I saying, I mean burning.

Fashion can certainly be a cruel mistress in this respect, but at least you can never accuse her of being boring. We get to continually look forward to the season around the corner, redrafting and renewing lists and adding to the ‘must-own’ folder on our laptops. And that is exactly what this article is all about.

Sometimes the wealth of styles and unlimited choices on offer to us can just get too much. After all, it was Sid Mashburn himself who said “men don’t need a lot of choices, they need the right choices”. So why not kick back, relax and take a little peek at the list I’ve been drafting for the last couple of weeks (read: months).

Bear in mind this list does assume that you already own a few winter essentials: a tweed blazer, merino wool knits, heavy duty trousers (cords, moleskin, wool) and thicker shirts in fabrics like flannel or Oxford cloth.

The pieces below are what I personally intend to introduce into my current wardrobe in order to update my own look – use it as a starting point and begin to develop your very own ‘want’ list…

1. Embrace Burgundy

Sure you may have the odd shirt, chinos or jacket in this colour but why not really begin to incorporate one of the warmest and versatile colours you can wear during the winter?

2. A Beige Overcoat

Beige, tan, khaki, camel… whatever you want to call it, it was THE key colour for blazers and suiting last year. Whether in the form of corduroy, moleskin or good old-fashioned wool, the hue was being pushed by every blog, magazine and designer imaginable.

This season, up the stakes with a beige overcoat. Make sure it fits you in the shoulders (with room for a layer) and is cut slim in the body, especially if you decide to go double-breasted.

Pair it with shades of grey, navy and black and you can’t go wrong. A little 1990s Calvin Klein? Sure. But a quintessential menswear piece? One hundred percent.

Lookbook Inspiration

Key Pieces

Austin Reed 110 Tobacco Overcoat

Austin Reed Green Herringbone Tweed Overcoat

Savoy Taylors Guild Exclusive Double Breasted Overcoat

Peter Werth Penn Long Length Reefer Coat

Camel Wool Overcoat

Chester By Chester Barrie Covert Coat Olive

Brioni Pure Cashmere Overcoat

Dsquared2 Double Breasted Overcoat

Burberry Prorsum Slim-fit Bonded Cashmere-blend Overcoat

3. Branch Out Your Tweeds

Yes, a grey tweed blazer is a great choice for the colder months, but that’s not all that’s available.

Along with being able to pick up whole suits or separate trousers, the colours and patterns the material now comes in means you’re spoilt for choice.

Play it safe but different with shades of blue or try out my personal favourite this year: a tobacco brown blazer. Wear it with an Oxford cloth shirt, a pair of dark jeans/chinos and shoes with a chunky sole for the perfect ‘evening spent bar hoping’ outfit.

Lookbook Inspiration

Key Pieces

Ludlow Sportcoat In Harvest Herringbone English Wool

River Island Rust Brown Herringbone Blazer

Topman Premium Blue Suit Jacket

River Island Navy Life Of Tailor Herringbone Waistcoat

Burton Rust Slim Fit Tweed Blazer

Asos Slim Fit Blazer In Herringbone

Paul Smith London Herringbone Tweed Blazer 167870

Topman Brown Herringbone Heritage Fit Suit Trousers

Bellfield Tweed Trousers

4. Channel Orange

If London Collections: MEN is anything to go by, you might want to pick up something in orange – and quick.

You can go as bold or as light as you want with this trend and still achieve great effects. I’m personally more a fan of embracing trends subtly, so I’ve invested in a pair of orange socks, along with a textured pocket square and tie. But there’s nothing stopping you picking up a jumper/cardigan or even a piece of outerwear.

If you go down the statement route, make sure to keep the rest of you outfit neutral in order to allow your orange piece to do all the talking.

Lookbook Inspiration

Key Pieces

Ben Sherman Knitted Polo With Long Sleeves

Brooks Brothers Crew-neck Sweater 163350

Reiss City Contrast Colour Roll Neck Grey

River Island Orange Cable Stitch Jumper

Merc Parka

Faconnable Dean Straight-leg Cotton-blend Twill Trousers

Reiss Cindersaur Geometric Cuboid Print Pocket Square Burnt Orange

Herschel Little America Backpack

Topman Orange Neon Tube Socks

Grenson Finbar Suede Shoes

New Balance Bi-colour Trainer

Asos Woven Scarf

5. A Thicker Sole

A thicker sole on your footwear not only looks stylish and on trend but is also practical: it can handle the more adverse weather conditions we’re likely to experience in the colder months.

Now I’m not encouraging you to buy a completely new shoe collection – but why not consider investing in pair of black Oxfords or brown brogues with a chunkier sole? They look perfect when paired with equally heavy duty materials like denim, flannel or tweed.

Grenson Archie Textured-leather Wingtip Brogues

H By Hudson Callaghan Brogues In Black

He By Mango Brogueing Suede Blucher

Asos Chukka Boots In Leather

Grenson Fred Commando Brogue Boots

Acne Pedro Distressed-suede And Leather Desert Boots

Raf Simons Men’s Classic Shoes

J.crew Kenton Suede Derby Shoes

Grenson Curt Lace Ups 160684

6. Turn Up The Volume

Last autumn/winter I was all about the subtle shadow plaids, especially on a three-piece suit.

This time around I’m still down with plaid tailoring, but with a little more attitude. Whether it’s a window pane, exploded plaid or Prince of Wales check, why not experiment with a slightly bolder pattern this season?

Remember to chose something with a neutral base (like navy, grey or brown) in order to allow the pattern to become the focal of your outfit. Then pair it with classic versatile pieces like a white dress shirt, black grenadine tie and burgundy dress boots.

Lookbook Inspiration

Key Pieces

He By Mango Prince Of Wales Suit Blazer

Simon Carter Herringbone Window Pane Check Blazer

Topman Blue And Green Tartan Blazer

River Island Green Check Blazer

Tailored-fit Blue Plaid Cotton Blazer

Etro Slim-fit Plaid Wool Blazer

Gant Rugger Slim-fit Prince Of Wales Check Wool Blazer

Austin Reed Contemporary Fit Green Rust Check Jacket

Canali Kei Unstructured Check Wool Blazer

Final Word

So there you have it, a list of items that I fully intend to add to my wardrobe this coming season.

However, this obviously has my own personal tastes and opinions written all over it – so let me hear your opinion as well. What do you have lined up for this autumn/winter? Are there any pieces you’ve been considering but aren’t sure if you should pull the trigger?

There Are 19 Comments

With all summer shopping long gone, been looking forward to the new collections!

Mauricio Posted On 16th August 2013:

Great article… can’t wait to go shopping.

Viktor P Posted On 16th August 2013:

Hi, I am not personally a friend of the term “trend” because I do not think there’s something EVERY designer does, say if all of them were for slim fit trousers and orange – because I feel like they design more or less everything (bootcut, slim, skinny, straight etc.). And I think a person should stick with what suits him (or her) – you shouldn’t wear orange just because it’s trendy – if it look wrong on you – do not!!! Or try out different shades and see if something else wouldn’t be better.

But I think you make good points, I like you selection – especially burgundy and beige/camel (even though I believe this color’s just “in” every season). For burgundy however, I’ve seen some great clothes in Burberry collection (great leather coat), John Varvatos (an interesting overcoat), Corneliani (berets).

Mark J Winter Posted On 17th August 2013:

Hi agree with this – To blindly follow fashion does not make you fashionable.

If you’ve got a good understanding of what suits you and aren’t afraid to try new trends then decide if they suit you, I think that makes for a fashionable person. The last thing anyone wants to see is a sea of Orange clothed men and Orange faced women.

Alexander Posted On 10th September 2013:

I agree to this but also consider that trying out new inspirations is a valuable thing and often people do not ext(r)end their horizon.

Ste Posted On 16th August 2013:

What’s the best color trousers to wear with burgundy shoes?

Anders Posted On 16th August 2013:

I would probably say it’s black or dark grey trousers.

Wolf Posted On 18th August 2013:

Burgundy shoes are, essentially, the colour of shoe traditionally known as Oxblood. They are often paired with navy and dark blues. Other browns and tans are also a good pairing.

Jason Posted On 22nd August 2013:

I have several pairs of burgundy shoes and they’re really quite versatile.

I’ve paired them with a grey suit, navy suit, beige suit, and dark brown suit. I haven’t tried black yet but I imagine that would work. They also look great with olive or other dark greens.

They definitely suit Autumn/Winter colors better than the lighter tones of Spring/Summer.

Mik Posted On 16th August 2013:

Great article, much as I love the weather, I always find autumn/winter clothes more interesting and with more options. Particularly like the burgundy and orange, not a man to use too much colour myself I love using those hues as a bold item (makes my usual monochrome approach better).

Nathan Posted On 17th August 2013:

I just bought a beige overcoat for sale last spring but didn’t know how to incorporate it into my wardrobe. I guess I have some inspiration for this fall. Thanks.

Tom Posted On 17th August 2013:

Great stuff, anyone got a link to the primark coat? (second picture in tweeds)

Will Colman - Resident Writer Posted On 17th August 2013:

Big on the orange. Totally my bag. I just crack it straight out as a statement. Totally investing in some chunky sole derbies or suede bucks. Suede in winter though? I’ve got boots, so why not. Good work Matt.

Is there a chance of finding out where some of this stuff came from? I still need to pick some things up!

Marc Posted On 30th September 2013:

Great article Anyone know where I can get the J.Crew Beige Overcoat – section 2, middle picture… looked on J Crew site and cant find it. That or anything similar would be great!

Jimi K Posted On 28th October 2013:

I’m on board with the first three suggestions and can make them all work for me.

The second two, however, not so much.

I absolutely, positively cannot wear oranges, reds, or yellows because I’m fair complected with some red, and have white blonde hair. Hot colors, therefore, aren’t even up for consideration. Out of necessity, my colors are jewel tones and neutrals. I find that no one who offers fashion advice ever addresses people like me.

And the plaid jackets are borderline absurd looking. They make one look like a circus clown or like they should have an organ grinder and a monkey. These, too, are absolutely out.

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